Of War, Princes, and Persistent Suitors
by Tempos
Summary: A Queen's life is never a simple one. Not Queen Elsa's, at least. To say, hers is a mixture of 3 ever present suitors, 2 handsome brothers, 1 manic sister, 2 conniving younger cousins, and 1 very serious territorial tug of war. What's a Queen to do when the age of conquer has officially begun? AU with OCs. To the kids who like the slowpoke pace. [War. Politics. Adventure.]
1. Chapter 1: Intake of Breath

**Hey! I'm back! Sort of. **

**Anyway, I decided to write a fic for Jelsa, since I'm very much in love with those two. **

**Disclaimer:** Okay, you guys know I don't own Rise of the Guardians and/or Frozen. Disney and Dreamworks, you know what's yours and I don't intend to claim ownership over what's not mine. Jack and the other recognizable characters from the two animated films do not belong to me. The plot and the additional characters though, do belong to me. And yep, I'm just a bored teenager and I don't wanna step on anyone's ownership. What's yours is yours, and what's mine is mine. So yeah, got that cleared.

Enjoy the story, guys. :)

And oh yeah, haha, please stay with me. *whispers I love you*

Warning: **This is a slow fic, guys.** **I don't think that Elsa and Jack should fall in love (plummet in love rather) too fast in this fic. Well, I do write fluffy oneshots but I like to take my time in multichaps. I'll try my hardest to make this realistic (drat if I fail). ;) But I do believe that love takes time. ;)**

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Arendelle just couldn't understand why their beautiful Queen continuously refused the affection of admirers.

Princes from whatever isles sailed to Arendelle with their majestic ships to ask for her hand in marriage.  
They were charming men-ranging from ginger to blonde, freckly to fair, tall to just right.  
The royal bachelors also ranged in attitude. There were a few who were plainly arrogant.  
There were the gold-obsessed.  
There were the snow enthusiasts, and of course, who could ever forget, the gluttonous.  
In contrast to those extremes, there were also the perfects inside and out, with teeth whiter than pearls and impeccable manners—whose balance the Libra scale would never deny.

Nevertheless, though presenting an array of likenesses and differences, every single prince who tried to woo the Queen sailed back to their own kingdoms with a tad dim to their happiness.

It wasn't at all that every single bachelor was ugly in Elsa's eyes.  
There were some, like Prince Francis of Nergond perhaps, who were impossible not to be regarded as objects of beauty.  
Even Anna shook her head as the golden and blue vessel left Arendelle's port.  
She was, after all, rooting for him the moment he set foot on the port's damp floorboards.  
The Nergish royal family line had just the best of genes—for even the young prince's facial proportions passed the Fibonacci test.  
But, just as the case of the other eligible bachelors, despite his utter perfection, Queen Elsa just couldn't see him as Arendelle's future throne holder.  
She was very much convinced that she possessed the ability to rule her entire kingdom, have it expand its borders even, without the help of a king.

Politics.  
She cringed at the word.  
Never would she have to extend her hand, never would she willfully agree to a marriage just because of politics. Elsa's head ached at her position. Everything about it screamed politics.  
Even her parents were wed because of it.  
But not she.  
Never will marriage be her option if not for love.  
And that same 'p' word, she made sure, was something she would protect her sister from as well.

* * *

Even more months passed and even more proposal letters were burnt by the castle servants to keep the fireplaces burning cozier in the winter.

Quite heartless, yes, but the pile was getting a tad too ridiculous to stay inside the Queen's quarters.  
Apart from the exploding mailing wing of the castle, there were also the three persistent suitors, who visited the kingdom every change in season—Prince Francis the perfect, Prince Donovan the exaggerated, and Prince Gavin the gluttonous.  
Most suitors gave up at the Queen's first rejection, but the three didn't seem to have the word "stop" in their vocabulary.

Nonetheless, the Snow Queen knew all of it was connected to grimmer interkingdom matters.  
Though it all looked flattering, everything behind it was dim.  
The trade industry was slowly falling. What used to be the full markets of Arendelle now had just the right amount of stocks for the change in season.

Kingdoms were forming alliances in a hasty manner, and Elsa knew just why.  
Gone were the days of peaceful individuality. Since the strong alliances opted for expansion, they've begun the age of conquer. There were only two options to consider—conquer, or be conquered yourself.  
Much to the Queen's slight relief, her kingdom sat on the farthest end of the country, locked in by walls of mountain ranges and separated from the mainland by the Great Lake.

But days were passing by and alliances were expanding one unarmed wood at a time.  
Still, locked in the valley, Arendelle signed no contract, and Queen Elsa's hand sported no ring.

* * *

The young Queen's ears twitched to the three consecutive knocks that filled her study.

Dropping her quill back into the ink bottle, she hastily folded the letter on her desk into an envelope, stamped it with wax and the seal of her ring, and quickly stuffed it inside the nearest drawer before nodding to her maids.

Both gracefully twisted the knobs and in, without any formality or bashfulness, came sauntering her royal cousin, regally clad in his formal wear.

"Elsaaaaaaa," with a huff, the young prince slouched on one corner of the Queen's desk, his face flat against the wood. "I'm gonna die faster here than in Borgin, you know."

The queen, for the umpteenth time that month, rolled her eyes at their newest 'adoption.'  
"Well much to your disappointment, your parents didn't think so, which explains why you're now temporarily living in a valley instead of your majestic kingdom on the east. Where's Edmund? Why don't you go have fun with Olaf?"

The eleven year old groaned and started banging his forehead repeatedly on the oak desk. "I can fight. You know that. And to add to that, I'M heir to the throne. I have a responsibility in my own castle. I can't just wait here in safety while those other kingdoms run over mine."

Finally stopping, the prince dragged the nearest chair to him and slumped down, rubbing his reddening forehead. "Why can't Father see that?"

"Because, dear William, you're ELEVEN." Anna walked in casually to their young cousin and ruffled his chestnut hair, making the wild tendrils face even more confusing directions. "And you're the ONLY heir, just in case you failed to notice."

"If in an instance that you get, say, hewn in the middle of the chaos, then your line would be, I don't know, just probably broken, that's all." Anna snorted, contrary to the princess etiquette.

Nevertheless, her eyes softened when William looked even more miserable on the foamed chair.  
"But I know for sure that they'll be fine. Your Father would never let anything wrong happen to Borgin." Rubbing her cousin's back in comfort, she gave her sister a sad smile.  
"They just had to be sure you were out of danger. Besides, Edmund's stuck in exactly the same situation as you are." Anna lightly chucked, and lowered one tier of her dress, which was, to the young prince's delight, where she carried a vast collection of sweets.  
"Want some chocolates?" Elsa wasn't surprised, and shook her head, knowing her sister probably came all the way from the kitchens and nagged their head cook to give her some chocolate.

One of the palace servants interrupted with a clearing of his throat. "Excuse me, my Queen, your highnesses. The guests are awaiting your presence at the dinner table."

"Thank you, Harold. We'll be there in a few minutes." With a nod, Elsa dismissed her servants. The light mood between the three vanished the moment the maids shut the double doors of the study.

Elsa slowly stood up and walked to the ceiling-high window that towered behind her desk, and stared down on the expanse of her kingdom.

Winter.

Apart from the fact that it was her favorite season, it calmed her nerves to know that it would temporarily bring a halt to the conquering, and even for just a season, Arendelle, Danad, and Borgin were going to be safe.

Leading an army to battle in the days of the frost, she knew just like any other human in their right mind, would be a complete nightmare. She stared on at the calm snowfall.

"Let's go," she sighed, her eyes shut. When she turned back to the other two occupants of the room, she already had a small smile plastered on her face.

* * *

Author's note: Although I most definitely won't force you to R&R ( that's read and review for the baby ficcers), I would appreciate it if you would. Just tell me whatever's in your mind right now. lol

And of course, whether you liked the story, or, hated it? I guess. Just review. :)

It can range from nonsense to flame, whatever. Plus, constructive criticism is warmly welcomed in my house. ;)

So shoot.

till my next update, guys. :D

PS. I'll try my best to stick to updating every Friday. :)


	2. Chapter 2: The 7-kingdom Alliance

Heyyy! Here's the second chapter and I'm sorry if it's a bit sketchy. I know it's a bit sketchy. *sigh* Vacay's not really a smooth one. Had to deal with other stuff that just popped out of nowhere and somehow, I was able to squeeze this chapter in between all the fuzz and yeah, there you have it.

I'm not quite satisfied with it yet (guess I'm gonna edit the entire multichap after I finish it).

Disclaimer on chap 1 is applicable to the rest of this multichap.

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**ATTENTION!**

**1.) I uploaded the map for this fic. Yeah. I'm no expert cartographer but there's a link to the map on my bio. :)**

**2.) Jack and Jacob are the same. I couldn't think of a formal name for Jack that would fit his character so I used Jacob instead. :)) I'm sorry if it wasn't clear but Jack and Jacob are the same person. **

**3.) Guns haven't been invented yet, but they use cannons here. **

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Elsa's eye twitched at the sight of the long table. Regal did the table runners make it, complete with the best tableware in Arendelle, but it just had to be put off. Her memory of how it once looked so regal and fine and how it used to be the epitome of class back when she had only been a little girl undesirably got marred by the new sight of the long table.

Anna laughed nervously at her sister, while shaking the contents of her goblet. "Fine night, don't you think?"

William and Edmund were too busy with their ritualistic _dinnertime barter_—wherein the former traded his green peas for the latter's bowl of mashed potatoes-to notice their irked cousin Queen.

It was, after all, the first week of winter, and both boys already expected the scenario. Queen Elsa's suitors were, yet again, none other than present, on the royal long table. The three men have visited the kingdom for five consecutive season changes now and the boys paid little attention to them. It was not like they were their business after all. When it came to the long table, only green peas and mashed potatoes were their business. Nothing more and nothing less, unless of course, if there were better things to trade.

Anna couldn't feel her cheeks, nor could she count the several nods she already did while facing Prince Donovan's parents. The king was boasting about his third kill the week before, and how he had wondrously shot the arrow exactly between the eyes of the stag he had hunted. "Argh, but ye haven't 'eard nothin' yet, lassie." The stout man grinned proudly, and Anna noticed a bit of parsley that seemed to have found a home in between the king's front teeth. Her forced smile faltered for a second. She didn't need any better reason to enlighten her as to just why Prince Donovan was cleared from the list right after his first meeting with her sister. The king's booming voice hauled her back to earth. "It might be hard to believe but I 'ad te battle e rabid bear, had te smash its head with mah bare hands before I got te the stag there."

Only when Harold cleared his throat, something Elsa thought came with the package of being a butler, did she notice that the spoon in her hand had already been frozen halfway. Gasping, she quickly laid it down on her napkin. She could sense a coming migraine as her temples mildly throbbed.

The elderly castle servant whispered, "Your majesty, four men wait by the gate, saying that they come to see the Queen."

Elsa's eyebrows furrowed. She couldn't remember having an appointment that day, apart from the seasonal dinner. Neither could she recall filing one with four men, and certainly not in that particular hour. "Where did they say they came from?" She whispered back.

"Two from Targon, your majesty. The third bore the crest of Danad, and the fourth, that of Borgin."

The two sisters exchanged glances, all thoughts and regrets about dinner forgotten for a moment. "If you'd excuse me, I have to attend to a few things." With that, Elsa rose from the center seat and exited the hall.

* * *

Targon. It was the kingdom that sat a good number of leagues south of Arendelle, past Nergond, Gribold, and Sernu, about a couple of miles west of Borgin and Danad. It sat in the middle of the Ergamoth, towering over the plains of Radmar and Bendir. **(AN: the maaaaap. lol)**

"I still disagree of your following us, Jack." Behind the portcullis of Arendelle's castle, four hooded men waited with their horses.

One nonchalantly jumped down from his mount and took off his hood, revealing a young and handsome face. "I can't believe you're still irritated after having crossed who-knows-what-number-of-leagues just to get here." He was tall and slender, nothing near the lines of buff and burly, but rather more of fit.

"You know I'd rather defend our kingdom than ride," dismounted the other.

Jack laughed, moving over to rummage the contents of his brother's satchel. "Exactly, dearest brother of mine." He pulled out a carrot and walked to his horse. "Which is why Father should have sent his second son for this errand instead."

"An errand that requires a huge amount of persuasion and a minimal to no amount of immaturity, only a complete dolt would send you." The older one snorted but smirked nonetheless, and ruffled his younger brother's brown mess of hair. "To add to that, you're the undeniably hardheaded son."

Jack swished the carrot in front of his brother's face. "I'm quite proud of that distinguishing feature, thank you. Besides," He exhaled, seeing his breath fog up against the winter air. "it's winter, Erik." He then grabbed a handful of snow and threw it, purposely missing his brother's forehead by a hair. "It's always been my weather. We both know how much you hate the cold." Sighing, the younger stared at the snow-capped rooftops of the village houses near the castle. "And I doubt any king in their right mind would send an army to conquer in this weather."

Just then, the portcullis was slowly hoisted up, and the thick steel-barred wooden doors of the castle were pulled open. The men held the reins of their mounts and ushered the horses into the bailey.

The castle, all four noticed, was a beauty of contrasts. It didn't sport the same intimidating stone glory of Danad and Borgin's castles, nor could it battle the tall towers and turrets of Targon's. Rather, it shone with a different beauty. Jack thought that it looked more like a manor built into a castle—with its second and next stories beautifully timber-framed, and its towers of grey brick. Guards and archers stood in organized lines and positions on the battlements, the towers, and even on every level of the castle.

Arendelle was a rose-beautiful, with sculptures, fountains, waterfalls, and vast gardens. Pick it not though, if you're unarmed against the thorns that lie hidden behind its petals, for the number of adornments on the castle was of the same number of guards it had.

"Harold informed me that you wished to see the Queen?" Standing in front of the double doors was none other than the royal they were looking for, the unstable shadows created by the two torches by the doors playing in her background. The four had never seen a royal who could rival her beauty that night. She wore a gown that looked exactly like the night sky above them-dark navy with small jewels as stars. Her long platinum locks in a loose french braid that lazily rested on her bare right shoulder. And Jack noticed, that almost made his lips twitch to a smile, that the Queen, unlike all the other Queens he'd seen before, wore little to no amount of makeup, and yet she shone brighter than every woman he'd seen before.

All four men went down on their knees, heads down at the sight of the young Queen. To their surprise, she chuckled. "Please. You must know I'm not one particularly strict with formalities, especially to friends of Arendelle."

The four slowly stood up.

"Might I know your names?"

The young man who bore the crest of Danad spoke first, introducing himself as he held his right hand over his heart, head down.

"Your majesty, I am Jarle, sent by King Henrik of Danad."

"My name is Espen, your majesty, son of Jorgen, brother to King Fredrik of Borgin," continued the other.

Last to introduce were the brothers, who could have passed for twins had time not made the difference in their ages quite evident. "We are the sons of Bjorn, your majesty, King of the mountain fortress of Targon."

"I am Prince Erik," started the older brother.

"And I am Prince Jacob, your majesty," finished the younger.

Elsa courteously bowed. "What errand brings you to our kingdom?"

Espen, the young man who bore the crest of Borgin on his chest, spoke first. "Your majesty, we come in behalf of the alliance between Targon, Danad, and Borgin. Our kings sent us to deliver this letter. Other messengers bearing the same letter have also been sent to the kingdoms of Sernu, Nergond, and Gribold." He then stepped forward and kneeled in front of the Queen and her servants, the letter in his hands he extended to the royal.

Elsa whispered sideways to Harold after accepting the letter, "Inform the visitors that we will be having some company in the table." With a curt nod, the elderly man turned to leave.

"Oh, and Harold," the Queen sent her servant a withering look. "Please tell the maids to _restore _order."

Harold nodded once more, a knowing smile defining the wrinkles on his face. "Of course, your majesty." With a last bow, he left with his maids and headed back to the hall.

"I want to hear news about your kingdoms—any sight of enemies in the vicinity, or threats perhaps?" The Queen inquired, a hint of worry on her face as she faced the four messengers. She had just been able to distract William and Edmund from the war with Olaf's help, but on some nights, the two would lose sleep, anxious about the safety of their own kingdoms, and of course, their parents.

"Borgin remains safe, your majesty. No reports of sightings across the plains either."

"Danad too remains safe, your majesty."

"None of our watchers reported of sightings either, though we fear that the conquering will continue when the winter lifts."

Elsa sighed. "That is something we do not need foretelling to be sure of, Prince Erik." She hurriedly placed her smile back on though. "Nevertheless, I'm glad to hear that your kingdoms sleep in peace."

She turned to the two on the right. "Especially for Borgin and Danad, your princes will be relie-"

"Where's my father?!" Cutting his cousin short, Prince William ran outside the castle, eyes wild, paying no attention to the spoon that was still in his hand. Elsa sighed; she forgot that William's ears were extraordinarily keen.

Jarle and Espen exchanged humored glances as the young prince ran outside the castle.

More echoes reverberated on the main hall as the second young prince ran to the entrance. "And mine too! I want to see-woooah!" In his utter excitement, he failed to see the small puddle of soup on the floor, which he slipped on in his haste. Lunging to the doorway just in time to save the younger royal from crashing against the statue of Freyja, Elsa created a heap of snow behind Edmund. Much to her relief, her youngest cousin disappeared in the heap, scratchless, her mother's favorite statue, untouched.

"Haven't we talked about running in the halls, Edmund?"

"Sorry, Elsa!"

Letting a long sigh go, she returned to her guests, and tucked a stray tendril of blonde hair behind her ear. "Your princes, like I was about to say, would be glad to meet you. You must be exhausted, having traveled leagues to get here. Please, join us in the dinner table. We shall discuss the letter there as well."

"Sigurd, bring their horses to the stables."

Only when the Queen had turned her back at them and ushered her cousins back inside did the younger prince of Targon smirk. Nudging his brother, he whispered. "Where exactly is the maiden of dangerous ice powers that Father warned you of?"

* * *

Elsa was quite shocked, but more of grateful, to see the long table the moment she walked in with William and Edmund, and the four riders. Clutter was, for the first time in a seasonal dinner, not present. No soup dripping on the tassels of the table runners. Neither forks nor spoons lied on the floor. Prince Gavin's plate was a new one, and gone as well was the spoon she unknowingly froze halfway. Taking a sidelong glance at the maids who stood single file against the right wall of the hall, Elsa smiled. All the maids returned it, and so did Harold, for he took pride on being the head of the department.

"Your majesties, your highnesses, may I introduce our four visitors," Elsa started, facing the occupants of the long table.

"Jarle and Espen, royal messengers of Danad and Borgin." She gestured to the two young men to her right.

"And Princes Erik and Jacob," she then gestured to the nearly identical men who stood on her left, "royal princes to the kingdom of Targon."

The Queen proceeded to introducing the royal families to the four, but her sister had already retreated to her own scene.

Anna tried to keep her right brow from rising. Targon. At the mention of the kingdom, she quickly searched her brain. No. It definitely wasn't from the list of rejected bachelors, nor could she recall seeing a single letter sealed with the crest of the highland fortress. She slightly narrowed her eyes, and carefully regarded the two princes—they were alright, she thought—tall, fit, blue-eyed, and fair, with broad shoulders, and nice smiles. Her eyes moved to the younger-looking one and she mentally said _nice dimples._ Anna noted though, that the most noticeable thing about the two was that the gods obviously took their time creating them, perfecting them rather. Odin might have really been in a great mood, Anna thought, when he made the Targon siblings, and generous in giving handsomeness away too. She used to think that Hans was good-looking, but these two men put him to shame. If another royal family line can rival Prince Francis's, it would be theirs.

Her train of thought was cut short though, when the younger Targon prince spoke. "My brother and I, along with Espen and Jarle, we are all grateful to be given the honor to dine with the high royals of such great kingdoms." Anna mentally made a face of being impressed. He had a nice voice, neither too deep nor too high—exactly the right timbre—and it suited him well. Not to mention that he had teeth that could equal the whiteness of snow.

After scrutinizing the siblings, she asked herself yet another mental question. _Why hasn't Targon sent her sister a proposal yet?_ Not that she thought every single kingdom with a prince should, but kingdoms farther south, farther past the Ergamoth, actually did.

After the last wave of plates, much to Prince Gavin's dismay, was cleared, Elsa rose from the center seat. "I would like to call your attention regarding the errand that our four visitors came here for," she started. "They brought with them a letter from their kings, and I was informed that to your kingdoms—Sernu, Nergond, and Gribold—messengers have also been sent, bearing the same message."

"As you all know, the only thing that's keeping the northern lands from being invaded and conquered at the moment, is winter." All the occupants of the long table stared at the snow Queen, including the two younger princes. "Although we have a good five months of safety, the gods haven't blessed us a time to be lax about the conquering, for when the winter lifts, we know full well that it will resume."

Elsa sighed before raising the letter in her hand. "In this letter, Targon, Danad, and Borgin, are asking us to join their alliance." All the other occupants breathed the suspense in the hall, while Donovan and his parents furrowed their thick brows.

Before they could air their disagreement, Prince Francis spoke first. "Your majesty, we received this message the same day our vessel was to leave our kingdom's port. Nevertheless, my father and I have already discussed the matter."

He paused to share a glance with the king, and nodded to the four messengers. "Nergond accepts your request," he boyishly smirked, bowing with his hand over his chest after. "We are now brothers. You have our hand, and our entire fleet."

The four bowed to this, placing their hands over their hearts as a form of respect.

"We received y'ar letter a tad earlier an' y'av'ar ships as well," proudly grunted the king of Sernu as he pounded the table for emphasis. "Including all 'ar cutters." The Sernuans took pride on their vessels, being the largest kingdom of the north, and having the widest control over the great northern loch.

His son, who looked barbaric in every angle, joined in, his thick accent adding to his brutish image. "'Ar catapults will crush those darn ninnyhammers dare they invade our region."

This, too, earned smiles and bows from the messengers.

"It would be an honor to fight alongside Nergond and Sernu, your majesties," bowed Jarle, relief and joy clear on his young face.

Donovan, his eyebrows still furrowed, looked to his father, who, too, still had his own brows furrowed. When they received their letter, they had no plan to accept the request. With Sernu and Nergond in though, the two largest controllers of the northern waters, refusing would be a foolish idea. If Arendelle joins the alliance as well, the woodlands of Gribold would be trapped in between.

Elsa and Anna exchanged glances before the former smiled warmly at the two young princes who sat beside her sister, Edmund's hair still damp due to the snow. "Borgin and Danad have long been brothers to our kingdom. Brothers, even by blood, to our father." Edmund and William both showed proud faces having heard the latter part.

"With or without an alliance, Arendelle will come to their aid, and so will we to their friends," Elsa started. "With that said, Arendelle accepts your request," she continued as she gave the messengers a small smile, before bowing with her hand over her chest.

Gribold was the last kingdom left to decide, and the silence in the hall grew too awkward that Jarle and Espen grew uncharacteristically interested in the chandelier. Prince Erik stared at the royals stonily, his own brows threatening to furrow themselves.

Queen Elsa ended the silence, her tone a flat contrast to her warm greetings and compliments. "Your highness, if you need time to decide, that will be given you. Time indeed is a necessity," courteously smiled and nodded the young Queen.

"-if sense comes slow," she muttered under her breath, which made Anna bite her finger, Francis release a shaky sigh, and Jarle choke on his own saliva.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Sorry there isn't much action in this chapter. :)) If you have constructive criticism for this chapter, shoot. :) The review box seems lonely.

Anyways, I'm happy I was able to stick to the Fridays plan (although it's Thursday today). Tell me what you think about the chapter, whatever it may be, really.

And by the way, I might introduce the enemies on the next chapter. I MIGHT. **MIGHT**. I'm still undecided. :))

Thanks for the support, my awesome readers. ;) Oh and yes, I would like to thank the awesomest beta reader in the universe. You know who you are. ;)

_**Au revoir, mes amis. Je vous adore**_ ~ 3


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